Galapagos Master

(7 REVIEWS)

Destination: Ecuador

Master the Galapagos (7 & 10 Nights) | From $708++/night

Galapagos Master Quick Pitch

The Galapagos Master dive liveaboard offers premiere dive cruises on a spacious first class yacht, complete with trip itineraries that take divers to the best sites, including Wolf & Darwin Islands.

Location

The Galapagos Master embarks and disembarks at the island of San Cristóbal. Book your international flight into and out of Quito or Guayaquil International Airport in Ecuador from where there are daily domestic flights to San Cristóbal (SCY). Their representative will meet you at the airport.

Dive Overview

Excellent diving with large marine life. The Galapagos Master liveaboard boasts specialized scuba dive service for an exceptional holiday.

[See: Galapagos Dive Travel Guide]

Check Out This Awesome Video!

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Accommodations

Types of Cabins, Amenities and Photos

Galapagos Master Cabin Overview

She has 8 well-appointed modern cabins accommodating 16 divers.

The cabins

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General Facilities

The bar & shaded seating area

The dive deck

Galapagos Master Boat Features

Spacious indoor lounge
Starlink Wifi now available onboard ($40 for 7-night trips & $60 for 10-night trips)
Cushioned bench seating
Plasma screen for movie and photo viewing
Indoor camera set-up station, with numerous charging points (US flat pin plug)
Shaded outdoor bench seating
Sun-deck
Bow area with additional cushioned loungers
Indoor dining area complete with cocktail bar

Galapagos Master Dive Facilities

Individual set up areas
Under bench storage for all your personal items
Rinse tanks
2 shower heads
2 deck heads

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Food & Drinks Aboard Galapagos Master

All-inclusive western & local food served in buffet style. A selection of wines and beer are available.

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Galapagos Master Deck Plan

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Schedule, Rates & availability

Galapagos Master Schedule & Rates

Prices are in USD, per person and do not include park and port fees.

[See also: Inclusions & Exclusions]

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INCLUSIONS

Full board, including water, tea, coffee, snacks between meals and after dives
Diving and dive guides
Island tours
Transfers on departure and arrival days between San Cristobal Airport
Up to 4 dives daily
Weights, weight belt & SMB

Exclusions

Mandatory: US$100 Galapagos National Park Fee (payable on arrival at San Cristobal Airport) & US$25 Ingala Transfer Card (payable on arrival at Guayaquil Airport or Quito Airport)
Equadorian departure taxes (between US$28 -41) if not included in your flight ticket
Full dive equipment rental (from US$45 per dive day)
Nitrox (US$150-200)
Alcoholic beverages (prices vary)
Starlink Internet ($40 USD per guest for 7 nights or $60 USD for 10 night trips - connect up to three different devices. The data is unlimited. This is only available onboard, cannot be pre-booked, nor pre-paid.)
Master Liveaboards merchandise (prices vary)
Laundry
Crew gratuities

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Important Note

Optional extras payable on board the Galapagos Master are priced in USD. Galapagos Master can accept cash payment only on board in USD, Euro, GBP, and AUD.

RATES & AVAILABILITY

For more information on other departure dates, rates, and on availability email us at info@bluewaterdivetravel.com or call us at +1-310-915-6677 and we will gladly help you plan your dream dive vacation!

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Dive Information & Itineraries

Master the Galapagos Itinerary (7 & 10 Nights)

On a typical day, they offer up to 4 day dives. However, the 4th day dive may be substituted for a night dive when the boat is anchored within a sheltered cove. A 7-night itinerary provides for between 18-20 dives, whilst during our 10-night itineraries, up to 30 dives will be possible. The diving day aboard the Galapagos Master is scheduled as follows:

Light Breakfast followed by a briefing and Dive 1
Full Breakfast, relaxation period, briefing and Dive 2
Lunch, relaxation period, briefing and Dive 3
Snack, relaxation period, briefing and Dive 4, where possible
Dinner
To allow guests to explore the Galapagos to its fullest, on days 2, 7 and 10, dives 3 and 4 will be substituted by an island visit at North Seymour, Santa Cruz or Isla Isabela. 10, dives 3 and 4 will be substituted by an island visit at North Seymour, Santa Cruz or Isla Isabela.

Dive Overview

Diving in the Galapagos can be challenging, even for the experienced diver. At many sites, currents can be strong and visibility may diminish due to currents and an influx of nutrients. It is highly recommended that guests have training beyond beginner level and a minimum experience of 50 dives, preferably in similar conditions. If the dive crew feel that you do not have the relevant skills or experience to dive the more challenging sites safely then they may stipulate that you sit out some dives.

Water temperature ranges from 21-30°C (70-86°F) between December and May when manta rays are more commonly sighted. However, it drops to an average of 16-24°C (60-75°F) between June and November when the Humboldt Current comes up from the south, bringing with it plankton; making this the best time for seeing whale sharks. Thermoclines can also be expected and divers are advised to bring suitable thermal protection.

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Other Information

Boat Specifications

Year built: 2004
Year renovated: 2015
Length: 32.3 meters
Beam: 7.5 meters
Cruising speed: 12.5 knots
Engines: 2 x MTU 6062 475 HP
Max guests: 16
Number of cabins: 9
Number of bathrooms: 10
Tenders: 2
Water capacity: 16 tonnes

Practical Information

Time Zone: UTC-5
Local Currency: USD (US Dollar)
Language Spoken: English
Electricity: 110 & 220V
Payment Onboard: Cash (USD, Euro, GBP, AUD and NZD)

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Got Questions? Ready to Book?

Call us today at +1-310-915-6677 or email us info@bluewaterdivetravel.com

And let us book your dream vacation!

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Underwater Gallery

Photos provided by Robert Wilperning

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Reviews (7)

Lindsayd

1 Reviews

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Overall Value

Accommodations

Marine Life

Food

What a wonderful experience! I couldn't get over how well everything was designed and set up and how helpful everyone one was. The rooms were spacious, and the diving deck very easy to get around and work on. Never felt crowded, which is so rare! I brought some underwater camera gear that looks like a beast, but they didn't seem bothered in the slightest. Helpful staff would hand me the camera from on deck, and were understanding about fresh water rinses for the gear, even setting up a dry area for them to stay before our next dive. Felt secure and safe the entire time. Would love to return!

Visited on 04/2012 - Submitted on 03/03/2014

Reviewer

photodiver

4 Reviews

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I've been on the Galapagos Master twice so far, and I fully enjoyed both trips.

I chose the 10 night trips over the 7 night trips to get the extra days at the better dive sites. The highlights were iguanas, mola mola, and hammerheads.

Cabins were confortable and better than most other liveaboards, and the AC worked well. Food was pretty good and served buffer style. Staff is friendly and goes out of their way to know the names of the guests. The dive operation was run very well with an emphasis on safety, which is important when you are out at remote islands.

"Big JC" was our favorite dive guide, he always had a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge about the dive sites.

The trips are expensive, but not more so than the other Galapagos liveaboard options. This trip hits the highlights of diving the Galapagos and I can highly recommend it.

Visited on 01/2017 - Submitted on 10/28/2017

toleary

Santa Cruz, CA
United States

1 Reviews

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I have made two trips on the Galapagos Master, and these were the best dive trips I have ever done. The Galapagos is not for new divers, but the variety and unique nature of the marine and terrestrial life there is amazing. Very happy with the boat and crew, diving was very organized, guides were superb. Boat was comfortable and clean, food fine. Highly recommended.

Visited on 06/2018 - Submitted on 03/11/2021

ScubaHankNYC

1 Reviews

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Accommodations

Marine Life

Food

We spent 10 days aboard the Galapagos Master Liveaboard. Our first stop after the check out dives was Wolf and Darwin. We spent a day and a half at each dive site. During the dives we saw plenty of Hammerhead Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, Silky Sharks and a Tiger Shark.

Later, we spent a morning with Marine Iguanas after Wolf & Darwin. These Marine Iguanas are only found in the Galapagos and they are the only Iguanas that forage for food in the ocean.

We also found a rare Galapagos Bullhead Shark on one of our dives. Even though this small shark species was described as early as 1840, little is known about this elusive creature.

This was a very good trip because we were able to observe a lot of unique marine life. I would definitely take this trip again!

Visited on 05/2018 - Submitted on 03/12/2021

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saltyseaturtle

2 Reviews

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Accommodations

Marine Life

Food

A liveaboard trip on Galapagos Master is a trip like no other! With the boat conveniently located less than 5 minutes from the airport in San Cristobal, the first dive is a check-out in the bay at San Cristobal, where divers are commonly joined by playful sea lions. The sea lions did not disappoint! The next day includes a land tour at North Seymour Island to see iguanas, sea lions, and the birds of Galapagos. This day also included diving at Baltra Island before heading on to Darwin and Wolf, which are some of the iconic dive sites of Galapagos. Here we saw whale sharks, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, many sea turtles, dolphins, tuna, and many schools of fish. It was remote and amazing. We spent 2 days at Darwin and 1 day at Wolf, with 4 dives each day. Next, we went to Punta Vicente Roca, where we saw mola mola, Pacific seahorse, playful sea lions, more turtles, nudibranch, and bullhead sharks. The water was colder in the islands south of Darwin and Wolf, but the crew was very helpful in assisting everyone with wetsuits, and it was hard to notice the chill with so much marine life to see! Next, we did a dive at Cabo Douglas, where we saw marine iguanas feeding on algae underwater, fur seals, and a group of 14 sea turtles feeding together in the sea grass. We also saw the Galapagos penguin, which was amazing. We finished our diving at Cousin's Rock, where we saw sea lions, nudibranch, and large schools of fish. Our trip also included a land tour to see the Galapagos Tortoise Breeding Center on Santa Cruz Island. On the way to the center, we saw tortoises roaming the landscape and then learned more about them and saw all sizes from youngster to adult tortoises at the center.

The dive guides are extremely experienced in Galapagos. All diving was conducted from pangas, and it was very easy to board. They pulled the panga to the side of the boat, and each person entered with their gear on, with crew members assisting. It was a very safe way to enter the panga.

The food on this trip was delicious and included some local Ecuadorian dishes. We also had 3 vegans on board, and the chef always made them happy with his selections. The between-dive snacks were fantastic as well. The spiced hot chocolate between dives was one of my favorite liveaboard treats ever!

The cabins were some of the most spacious I have seen on a liveaboard. I liked that I had 2 double beds in my room rather than bunks. It was a smooth ride whenever we crossed from island to island.

Overall, the Galapagos Master is a fantastic liveaboard with a hardworking staff. The destination is world-class. I highly recommend Galapagos Master for an unforgettable trip to an iconic dive location.

Visited on 11/2020 - Submitted on 03/29/2021

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